A COUNCIL will decide whether an agricultural building and an airstrip can be kept after they were built on remote moorland.

The 200sq m building on Lartington High Moor, in Teesdale, has been described as a “blot on the landscape” by countryside charity CPRE.

Situated in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to a Special Area of Conservation, charity officials were angered by its construction without planning permission.

Durham County Council planning officers investigated their complaints and an application for retrospective planning permission has since been submitted to the authority, by landowner Peter Harle.

A representative for Mr Harle told the Darlington & Stockton Times that the council had granted a prior notification approval for the agricultural building back in September 2019 but there are “minor differences in the fenestration”.

The application seeks to “regularise the situation” and retain the building, along with engineering works to existing tracks and a landing strip which gives private access to the site by light aircraft.

It states that the land is used for agriculture, by a tenant farmer, and grouse shooting, and the building is used to store equipment such as quad bikes, trailers and animal feed.

Work on five areas of existing tracks – at crossings or particularly wet ground – are described as “essential” to maintain safe access by 4x4.

The 600m long airstrip is topped with black plastic matting, laid in 2019, through which vegetation has grown to largely cover the mats.

The development of concern to countryside campaigners near Lartington, County Durham

The development of concern to countryside campaigners near Lartington, County Durham

Papers also state that, whilst adjacent moors are an important habitat for upland breeding birds, dry heath and blanket bog, the site has no biodiversity designation.

The applicant states the track works and landing strip “will not change the wildness or remoteness of the moor”.

And whilst acknowledging the airstrip is not “in keeping with the character of the moor and AONB”, he argues it has already substantially greened over and removing it would leave a significant scar on the landscape for at least three years.

He says its impact on the tranquillity of the area will only be for a matter of minutes during take-off and landing – likely to be on less than 28 days a year.

CPRE, formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said it is important the case goes before councillors on the planning committee, rather than being handled by the council's planning department under delegated powers.

Chairman Richard Cowen said: "It is important that this matter is dealt with speedily and in the public arena.

"A very large building in open countryside has taken place without planning permission.

"It is intrusive on the landscape and it does not need to be there – this is bogland, sheep grazing and grouse shooting (land) and a building this size is not needed.

"A retrospective application has now been made but that doesn't alter the fact that this is a most inappropriate place for a building and airstrip of this nature and we'll be pointing that out.

"I would hope to see it refused permission and an enforcement notice requiring its removal be served.

"The building is visible for about a mile along the Pennine Way and is a blot on an otherwise unspoilt landscape near areas of outstanding natural beauty."

A decision is expected by early January.